The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has emerged as a major opposition force in Nigeria after absorbing several high-profile politicians displaced from their former parties. By the last quarter of 2025, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had joined the ADC after being pushed out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by a rival faction led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Also joining were Peter Obi, the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, all citing leadership crises in their previous parties as reasons for leaving. The ADC's national leadership, under Ralph Nwosu's National Working Committee, stepped aside to make room for the influx, reshaping the party's structure. Kwankwaso joined a few weeks before the ADC's national convention on April 14, where leaders delivered sharp critiques of President Bola Tinubu's administration. ADC National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, a former long-time ally of Tinubu since 1999, declared there would be no coronation for the president in 2027 and vowed his removal in the next election. The convention highlighted the party's growing national presence, bolstered by supporters of the incoming politicians. Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, also briefly joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) but left months later after its national chairman, Shehu Gabam, was expelled amid internal turmoil.
Rauf Aregbesola criticises Bola Tinubu's re-election bid after decades of political loyalty, making his sudden opposition appear more personal than ideological. His defection and fiery rhetoric benefit from the same political instability that brought Atiku, Obi, Amaechi and Kwankwaso into the ADC. The unity of these figures hinges on their shared grievances rather than a common agenda, leaving Nigerian voters uncertain about what the party truly stands for. Their collective ambition may prove as disruptive to the ADC as the crises they fled.
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